Unlocking Stars
by Flipzfish
Summary: Lucy is stuck with her hair frizzing in the midsummer sun, a shirt clinging to her sweat soaked back and a boy, who doesn't seem affected by the heat at all, talking to her about... The Lion King? as they wait for the train to take its sweet time crossing the track. Nalu, with minor Gale, Gruvia and other pairings.
1. You Haven't Seen What?

**So this is my first attempt at an actual fanfic, but I am in love with Fairytail and decided to take a shot at one. One of my friends gave me a prompt she read on tumblr about waiting at a really long train and meeting someone so I just kinda ran with it.**

 **Disclaimer: As much as I wish I did, I do not own any of these characters.**

 **You haven't seen what?**

If the sweaty fever of the sun wasn't annoying, then the throbbing pain caused by her bike's seat would have been. And even if waiting in the sultry embrace of heat as she followed the sluggish pace of the train cars with her eyes wasn't enough, the endless drone of passing carts would have done her in. Twenty minutes she had sat with her butt plastered to her seat getting slow roasted like a turkey on Thanksgiving, watching the train crawl past at the speed of an asthmatic turtle on crutches with only the sight of the store on the other side to entertain her. The store she wouldn't have had to go to if her roommate had not used the last of the milk. The milk she had _specifically_ told her not to use because she needed it for the birthday cake she was making. And the store that she _definitely_ wouldn't have had to bike to if that same roommate had not begged to use her car this morning to see her boyfriend because hers was still in the shop. The blonde pried her sweat-soaked bangs off her brow and tossed her head back, squinting at the sun through her sunglasses. She could practically hear the hair she had spent so long this morning frizzing in the humid weight the air carried. Cursing her roommate- not for the first time on this journey- for her stalkerish tendencies that had her claiming the dark haired boy in her law class to be her boyfriend, the girl shifted on her seat again.

A voice behind her startled her out of her thoughts. "What the hell is taking so long? You forget there are people waiting." Just another victim of the heat that had wrapped its greedy fingers around every body, sinking into every crevice. The jeep that the man sat in was different. If different was the new word for a concoction of such bright colours it caused migraines. It was painted in a pattern of neon orange, radioactive yellow and bright red giving the car the illusion of being encased in flames. The driver matched his hazard sign on wheels. He wore a tie-dyed shirt in swirls of blue and pink pulled taut over the expanse of his chest and a jean ball cap was perched on a mess of pink curls. But it was the scarf that really drew her attention; thick and white scaled, it was wrapped tightly across the man's shoulders, who for his part, was looking unaffected by the heat while the blonde herself felt another bead of sweat roll down the back of her neck. "Hurry up!"

"You know there's no one here to listen to you, right?" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. The girl didn't know why she responded to him, she wasn't one to talk to strangers but the damage was done so she slid from her seat- almost groaning- and made her way closer to the man and his car. The nearer she came the more details she noticed that made her want to know more about the boy. Not that she could really call him a boy, the shirt he had on doing nothing to hide his lean figure. No man had ever caught her interest like this one had, but one look at the dragon bobble head glued to the dashboard and the spray paint bottles that littered the back seat and she was hooked.

"Then it is a good thing I was only talking to the train then. I was hoping that a bit of encouragement might make them move faster." Eyes of such a dark green met hers. They were brightly lit in the sun, gleaming with mischief and laugher that seemed to bubble right under the surface.

Leaning her bike against her hip, she expended her hand towards him. "I'm Lucy, nice car." The hand that enveloped hers was rough with callouses, a hand that had seen hours of work, and splattered in paint. Warmth snaked up her arm, bringing a flush across her cheeks as she quickly extracted her hand from his. If he noticed her hasty retreat he kept it to himself.

"Thanks, painted it myself."

"That blows. I was hoping I could get my civic done like this."

Lifting his hat, he brushed the back of his hand across his forehead, in the first show that he did indeed feel the heat, smearing paint in its wake. "Sorry it is a one of a kind, kinda thing. The Salamander can't have any competition on the road."

Lucy tried not to notice the way his muscles flexed and relaxed with every shift he made, her eyes drawn to the crisp lines of his neck that smoothly disappeared under his shirt. Heat, that had nothing to do with the midsummer sun, pulsed under her cheeks as she forced her eyes back to his. "The Salamander?"

His hand lovingly caressed the steering wheel, and the slight movement had the curls that peeked out the bottom of his hat fall in front of his eye. Her hand raised, as if to brush them back, only to realize her actions and the she barely restrained herself, her fingers twitching at her side as they begged to run through those locks. "My car, about as reliable as Cinderella's coach."

She snorted without thinking. Her cheeks coloured in the aftermath of the noise she just created and then cursed herself for caring what he thought of her.

"Did you just snort?" He asked between chuckles, eyes skimming down her body as if to she if she held any other surprises.

Her cheeks flamed hotter as she felt his gaze linger on her clothes. Now there was nothing wrong with her clothes; she wore a pink tank top and shorts more hole than fabric, but with the careful examination she was getting had her frantically asking herself if she remembered to put makeup on this morning. The answer being yes. Or if she had shaved her legs recently- the answer also being yes. "I did not. You must have heard incorrectly. Ladies don't snort."

"Sure they don't. Just like I'm sure that's not frosting on your shirt."

A quick peek down her front did prove that while her makeup was done and her legs were shaved, she had failed to notice the frosting staining her shirt. "Well at least I don't look like Rafiki baptised me at Pride Rock."

"Huh?"

"Disney? The Lion King?" Her questions were met with an empty stare. "Simba? You've never seen it!"

"Nope. Is it food?"

"No it is not food!" Lucy exclaimed, slapping him on the arm, ignoring his groan of pain as she continued. "It is a masterpiece of the cinema. A childhood Classic! No one she be allowed to live without seeing it. It's a rite of passage!"

"So it's not food," he sighed, glancing over her shoulder to study the still moving train.

Exasperated, she just pointed to his forehead.

Looking in the rearview mirror, he scowled and tried to scrub at the paint, but it only made it worse. Deciding to give up, he looked out the window at her again, leaning an arm against the frame. An arm that was displayed in such a way that had Lucy wondering what sort of exercise this man did to have such artwork to display. "So, what has you biking in this heat Luce?"

"It's Lucy. Not Luce. And you know; the usual. I was handing out ice cream to little kids when a teen rolled down and stole a popsicle right out of a little girl's hand. Now I couldn't let him get away with that now could I?"

"Of course you couldn't," he responded in a dry tone, a smile in those eyes of his, eyes that Lucy knew were made to laugh.

"So I ran after him, punched him in the nose, stole his bike and now I'm on the run from he police."

The caboose of the train was finally creeping past the crossing.

Starting up his car, he looked to the blonde. "While I can't afford my perfect record to be tainted by associating with a criminal, it wouldn't be in my gentlemanly nature to let you get caught." He took off his hat and tossed it to her before following the rest of the cars across the tracks with nothing more than an over the shoulder wave and a call of "See you later, Luce!" as a goodbye.

She stared after him, clutching his hat in one hand and her bike in the other. Cursing her brain's inability to remove the picture of the pink haired man from her mind, and the slight aroma of smoke that seemed to drift from the cap, she swung her leg over her bike's seat and continued on her way to the store.

 **I will be updating this story every Wednesday and would love to hear your reviews. Also I have no idea how long this story is but I already have six chapters written and about a thousand ideas in my head so we will see.**


	2. Somebody's Lollipop

**Here is Chapter 2 just like I promised. Hope you guys like this one as much as I do, cause I have to admit I really like Cana. Anyways, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, no matter how many times I wish upon a shooting star for it.**

 **Chapter 2:**

 **Somebody's Lollipop**

She pressed her cell phone to her ear with her shoulder as she shifted the plastic bag to her other hand to rummage through her pocket for the key. Shouldering the door, she made her way into the disaster she had left the kitchen in, only half listening to her friend's detailed retelling of her latest conquest.

"Cana. I know you must have called for a reason," the blonde sighed, placing her bag on the counter, and hoisting herself next to it.

"I was at the best part," her friend growled, the sound of some rattling bottles was heard from across the line. "So he's looking at me like I'm some kind of lollipop for him to suck. You know the kind, the ones with the taffy in the center, the type you like to lick."

"I didn't think you slept with guys you just met," Lucy said, deciding the best course of action was to hear her friend out. Cana didn't like to be interrupted, and she would get around to the point of the phone call when she felt like it. Many times Lucy had tried to push the brunette, only to be shoved back and on the line for twice as long as they would have been if Lucy had only just let her talk.

"I don't," Cana slurring, taking a drink. "But this was a special occasion. We made a bet and I lost."

"What kind of bet do you make with someone you just met?"

"The kind you think you can win. He challenged me to a drinking contest."

"And you lost!" Lucy exclaimed. She had never met someone who could drink more than Cana, who drank beer like it was water and wine as if it was what flowed through her veins. As soon as she found the key to her father's liquor cabinet when she was sixteen, she had drunk nothing other than alcohol and had the strongest immunity to it. Even with a permanent bottle in hand, rarely had Lucy seen the older girl drunk. Tipsy- perhaps. But drunk wasn't Cana's thing, so to have a man be able to keep up to her was rarity on its own. To have one out drink her was unheard of.

"And the deal was for him to take my shirt, but I couldn't go home without a shirt. My pops would kill him, so I did the next best thing."

"You slept with him."

"It's not like there was no attraction there."

Lucy rolled her eyes, as she slid off the counter and made her way to the pantry to take out the flour she needed for the cake. Cana was the only one she knew who could make sex sound like no big deal. "I know you must have called for some reason other than to detail your sleeping arrangements to me."

"Levy's party is tonight, right?"

"Seven. At Mira's. You better not be late, or I'll cut you off from alcohol for the night," she warned opening the bag before pouring carefully levelled scoops into the mixer.

"Is it to late to bring a plus one?"

"I guess not. Do I know them?"

"Unless you met the guy I slept with, I'm going with no."

Lucy almost dropped her phone into the mixer in her surprise. "You're bringing the guy you just met last night?! That's a pretty big step don't you think?" Cana has this rule of sleeping with someone once before moving onto the next. She would be what one would call a one night stand master.

"I told you. There's attraction between us."

"If you're okay with it. I'm okay with it. I can't wait to see who snagged our Cana's attention," the blonde teased.

"On shut up," she mumbled, hanging up on her laughing friend. Lucy smiled as she finished measuring the rest of the ingredients and flipped the mixer on, her mind tossing the information around in her brain. For Cana to have found someone was a big deal, to bring him to meet her friends was a stage two that she had never gotten to before. Lucy just grinned as she tried to picture what type of man had caught their Cana's attention, but her brain just kept coming up with a silhouette of a man with bright pink hair and an even brighter smile.

* * *

Gajeel opened the door to the dorm room he shared with Natsu to find his roommate in tears. He was spread out on the red dragon printed bedspread with his laptop in front of him and a bowl of popcorn under one arm, a small blue cat under the other. And tears streaming down his cheeks.

"What the hell, Salamander? What you watching over there?"

Looking up from his film, he turned the computer around so a picture of a little lion cub pawing at his father was seen.

Gajeel laughed, a weird _gihihi_ sound that no one but he could ever make and didn't sound at all humorous. "You crying over some dumb kids movie? You're weaker than I thought."

Wiping his cheeks with the back of his hand he growled, "I bet you couldn't make it through this without crying."

"I'm not as weak as you Salamander," he snarled, marching over to Natsu's bed to watch the film. Natsu scooted over and placed the laptop between them, starting the movie over.

"Why'd you even start this dumb thing anyways?"

"I heard it was a right of passage or something."

"This better not be some dumb waste of time. I mean it Salamander. This better be good."

"Shhh, it's starting," Natsu hushed, clutching his cat tight in his arms. The cat struggled, but soon settled when he was fed some popcorn.

An hour later, when the credits rolled, Gajeel turned to Natsu, the evidence of tears still on his face. "You tell no one of this you hear? Don't want some lowly punks starting a rumour about this. You got it," he growled.

Natsu nodded his agreement and watched at Gajeel made his way across the room to his own bed to cuddle with the black cat that sat on it. Natsu had been sworn to secrecy on the cat too. No one but him was allowed to see this side of the hulking man.

 **Special thanks to KiwiWriter813, L337, MagicalUnicorn03, arcadea333, taboadayvonne, argronautchannel65, bow-and-arrow-lover, and sparklesinblue**

 **Please leave comments! I love to know how I am doing. See you next week my lovelies :D !**


	3. Waiting with Cake

**OH MY GOODNESS! Over 200 views! You guys are all super! 100 gold star stickers for you!**

 **Because I will be away this week (Olympic Trials in Toronto!) and unable to post this chapter on Wednesday like I said I would I have decided to post it early, so here you go. Sorry it might be a little slow in the beginning of this story, but trust me, the next couple of chapters will make up for it, especially when Natsu and Lucy meet up again, oh and don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Gajeel and Levy, they have a part coming up soon and fans of Gruvia and Jerza, I haven't forgotten about you either. Also if you have a prompt that you want seen then just shoot me a PM and I will try to write a chapter for you. Anywho, you didn't come to read this, so here is chapter 3.**

 **Disclaimer: I sadly own none of these characters, but I do own this plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

 **Waiting with Cake**

She was just drying the last of the dishes when her phone buzzed. Wiping her hands on her shorts, she reached for it, but before she could get a word in in greeting, the voice on the other end burst through the line.

"The flowers for the gala tomorrow arrived, but I can't find the checkbook anywhere."

"Did you check the lower left drawer of my desk?"

"It's not there."

Lucy furrowed her brows and thought. She had left Yukino in charge or her shop today to allow her time to get ready for Levy's party. She owned an event planning business that had just gotten its first big contract. The gala was a thinly disguised business deal between Nova, a large company with their fingers in electronics, and an engineering laboratory known as Arms. There would be bigwigs there from all over the country- and Lucy couldn't find her checkbook for the flowers.

"Oh! I brought it home with me so I could file some tax reports. I didn't even think about taking it. Tell the delivery man I'll be down in twenty minutes. Offer him some of the cake we have in the fridge, it's Mira's speciality. And apologise. I'll be right there."

Hanging up the phone on Yukino's reply, she rushed to the living room where she had dropped her bag on the coffee table. Checking inside, she made sure she had the check book before making her way to the door, reaching for her keys from the counter as she opened it.

"Shit," she cursed when her hand grasped nothing but air; grabbing instead the jean hat she had discarded at the door. "Stupid roommates and their stalkerish tendencies. She's going to make dinner for a week after this," she muttered under her breath as she locked the door and made her way outside.

Her bike was where she had left it, locked to the parking meter in front of her apartment building. Pulling the brim of the hat low over her eyes, she started on the way to her shop, the unrelenting sun beating at her back.

Unlocking Stars wasn't much to look at from the outside. It occupied a small space, squished between a coffee shop and a clothing boutique, in a popular shopping district. The glass windows along the front sported golden scroll scribing the stores name, the display behind, held a backdrop of picture frames full of smiling clients, and a simple three tiered cake surrounded by white and gold balloons.

The inside wasn't much of anything special either, with plain white walls only furnished by a few framed pictures of event locations. The desk was also white. It was clean and crisp, but it lacked the personality that Lucy craved, she just didn't know what to add. The space begged for something bright, something interesting. Something to bring the customers in. While they did get customers, she knew she would get more if when most people walked in, they weren't in fear of being judged. She opened the door to find a familiar florist leaning against the counter, cake in hand.

"Alzack! I'm so sorry for making you wait," the blonde apologised, pushing her bike in through the door and leaning it against the wall.

"Like I told Yukino, it was no big problem. You guys are great customers. You are the last delivery today, so I didn't mind waiting, and this cake is amazing," the florist consoled, taking another bite out of the creamy white cake he held in his hand.

"I still feel bad for keeping you waiting," Lucy said, pulling out the checkbook book. "How much is it again?"

"Six hundred and thirty seven."

"Didn't we agree upon five hundred and seventy?" Yukino asked walking out of office with a coffee in one hand and a clipboard in the other.

"We did but Bisca found some more of those winter lilies and said you wouldn't mind the price change."

"She said they would be impossible to find at this time of year," Lucy startled, looking up from her search for a pen behind the counter. Yukino reached over passing her one as Alzack explained.

"Usually they would, but a man came in the other day selling the last of his batch. Forty eight long stemmed flowers. Bisca replaced most of the irises with them."

"But we still have all the white roses?"

"Everything else is the same."

"Perfect," she claimed, carefully ripping the check from the pad and handing it to him. "Our clients will be quite pleased to hear of this change. Tell Bisca thanks and say hello to the little one for me."

"I will Lucy. She loves seeing you. Talking about that, Bisca was wondering if you could watch her next weekend. We have a flower show a couple towns over and Asuka hates them."

"If she doesn't mind hanging out here all the time, then I'd be happy to. Maybe I will take her out for ice cream," she smiled, opening the door for him to pass through.

"You are the best Lucy."

"I know," she grinned.

"Bisca will call you tomorrow to arrange it more."

"Tell her to call me in the morning. I have the gala tomorrow night."

"Will do."

As he walked out the door, he placed the cowboy hat, that had been strapped around his neck, once again onto his head and disappeared into the truck that was parked out front.

When it was driving away, Lucy turned to Yukino. "You'll be good here for the rest of the day? I really do need to get moving."

"Of course Miss Lucy."

"It's just Lucy, Yukino. You know that."

"I'm sorry Miss Lucy."

The blonde sighed as she stuffed her hair more securely under the jean cap and grabbed her bike. "I'll be in at seven tomorrow. Tonight, just make sure everything is in order to be moved to the hotel and call me if there is any problems. Remember we went with the white napkins rimmed in silver, not the cream ones. The crystal vases for the flowers are in the back behind the tables. Oh! And the-"

"Miss Lucy. Go! I'll be fine here," Yukino exclaimed, cutting her off. "I'll make sure to call if there is any problems."

"You are a doll," Lucy said, opening the door, but looking hesitant to leave.

"Go. I'll be fine," her assistant assured her. "You have a party to go to."

"That's right. I do." As she peddled away, she took her phone out of her pocket, steering with one hand, and dialed a number before pressing it to her ear.

"Hello, this is Arms Industries, Milliana speaking. What can I help you with today?" A cheery voice answered.

"Can you connect me to Miss Scarlett please? This is the event planner for the gala tomorrow, Lucy Heartfillia." The blonde asked, waiting for a light to change before starting on her way across the street.

"Sure thing, Miss Heartfillia. Just a second." Soon the peppy voice of the secretary was replaced with ringing. A few seconds later another voice crossed the line, this one a little more mature. "Hello?"

"Miss Scarlett," Lucy started but was cut off from saying more by the woman on the other end.

"I was hoping we were past such formalities. Call me Erza, and I'll call you Lucy." Her words, though they sounded pleasant, held a steel underneath that demanded not to be disobeyed. It was a tone that Lucy had grown to understand in the last couple of weeks she had been working with the red-headed CEO. But even though she had heard her use it many times before, the blonde still felt a little worried when it was used on her.

"Erza," Lucy rolled the name around her mouth. "I just wanted to tell you our florist was able to get her hands on some of those winter lilies that you wanted."

"That's splendid, Lucy. It is a good thing you called too, because I wanted to talk about the seating arrangements for the dinner."

"Anything specifically?"

"I would like all the heads of both companies sitting together."

"We had already planned on-"

"I know, I just wanted to make sure."

"Sure thing Erza. Anything else?"

"No, I'm quite alright. I will see you tomorrow."

Lucy was listening to dial tone before she could get her own farewell in. Smiling at the antics of the businesswoman as she pulled up to her apartment, she couldn't shake the feeling that the redhead was worried about something. But it wasn't her place to ask. After locking her bike once again to the parking meter, she headed up to her apartment, soon any thoughts about Erza were far from her mind and were replaced with those of her best friend's upcoming birthday party.

* * *

"Juvia, where are you?" The blonde asked. Both her hands were occupied with the task of wrapping the box in front of her, so the phone sat on speaker on the floor next to it.

"Juvia is sorry. Juvia was with Gray-sama and time slipped away from her. We were at the park and we sat on the bench and watched people walk by. It was so romantic and Juvia was so happy."

"That sounds nice and all but, you promised to be here fifteen minutes ago. Are you going to be ready in time?"

"Juvia doesn't have to do anything. Juvia just has to grab Levy's present."

"Well you better be here in five. And when you get here you have a lot to answer too,"

Lucy said, tugging at the ends of the ribbons to make a bow.

"Juvia knows she is late, but she doesn't know what else she did."

"You drank the last of the milk! I told you I needed it and you drank it. You made me, bike all the way to the store, in the boiling heat of midsummer, to get some more," she barked, reaching for the scissors so she could curl the ends.

"Oh! Juvia is sorry! She forgot Lucy needed the milk and used it this morning to make Gray-sama a lunch," the blue-haired woman cried from the other end. Lucy could hear the tears in her voice and instantly felt bad for snapping. She knew that Juvia wouldn't have used the milk on purpose.

"Well I hope that lunch was fantastic," she muttered under her breath, blowing a breath up her face to move the bangs from her eyes.

"Oh it was! Gray-sama thanked Juvia for it and when he reached for it, his fingers brushed against hers and Juvia can still feel their warmth,"

"Great. But you still owe me dinners for the week."

"Juvia will! She will make Lucy the best dinners for the rest of the week. Juvia will make all of Lucy's favourites."

"Will you be here in five minutes?" Lucy asked, picking up her gift and carrying it to the kitchen where the cake already sat ready to go.

"Juvia is already here."

"Perfect."

* * *

Mira's house was located on the far side of town. Just out of the city, in the fringes of the suburbs where houses instead of apartments began to pop up. Mira's was a simple one story home, with brick facing and a bright red door. The small garden was surrounded by a neat white fence and the porch was decorated with hanging baskets.

"I still can't believe she got that boyfriend of hers to agree to this house," Lucy said, eyeing the garden gnome they passed as they made their way through the gate and up the stone pathway.

"Juvia thinks the house is cute."

"No, the house is so Mira. I just don't think it suits-"

"Lucy! Juvia!" A sweet voice called from the front door. A young woman stood, framed by the doorway; her white hair catching the reflections of the sun rays.

"Hey Mira," the blond said, walking up the final steps to the door. "Are we late?"

"Just on time. Everyone else is here, we are just waiting for our guest of honour. Here, let me take that," Mira assured them, taking the cake out of the girl's hands. "The presents go in the living room. I'll be right there, I just have to put this in the fridge."

Mira had out done herself with decorating as always. Parties were always something that Mira-Jane loved and that made it all the weirder how her boyfriend and her got along. Streamers decorated the ceiling, dipped from the doorway and were threaded through the backs of the wooden chairs set around the table. Balloons were gathered in the four corners of the room and the white cloth that covered the table was sprinkled in colourful confetti.

Cana was sitting in the lap of a man Lucy had never seen before. He was wearing a purple leather jacket that was unzipped to give a fair view of his muscular chest. And even though he had a chest that would have many girls drooling- and she bet they did- she couldn't help but compare it to a certain tie-dyed chest she had the pleasure of admiring earlier. He held a bottle up to Cana's lips, tilting it back and letting her drink. Jet and Droy were sitting on the couch, each dressed to the nines in a desperate attempt to impress Levy, their long time childhood love, and to claw their way out of the friendzone. Laki sat on the armchair, legs tucked under her and laughing at something her boyfriend Max had said, who sat on a wooden chair next to her. And Mira's brooding boyfriend leaned against the far wall, headphones in and eyes closed, totally displeased with the whole atmosphere.

Juvia took a seat in a chair next the couch and started a conversation with its occupants. Lucy, on the other hand, twisted her face into a devilish smile as she made her way to the couple in the corner of the room, who were already deep into the liquor.

 **Oh my Gosh! Thank you guys all so much for reading and a super special thanks to autumnassassin, LoveTheMonster, Khyd the Mage, WishItWasCanon, KrispiKreme and Shaerlis.**

 **Like always, I love reviews so keep them coming! And feel free to press that little heart button and like up this story- I would adore you for it. Until next week my little darlings!**


	4. It's Fun Until I Have To Do It

**I know it feels like forever since I posted, but that is only because I updates the last chapter so early. And I feel like I need to reward you for waiting this long so I will post this chapter a day early- it might also have to do with me being a bit on the impatient side of things. This one has to be my favourite chapter up till now, and I have a feeling you will all hate how I ended it, but the chapter was just getting too long. Anyways read it and enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: The gods don't smile kindly upon me 'cause I definitely don't own these characters, only the plot.**

 **Chapter 4:**

 **It's Fun Until I Have to do it**

"So who's this Cana?" Lucy asked, sidling her way up to the couple.

"This," Cana slurred, patting the brown haired man on the head, "is Bachy."

"That's Bacchus to a beautiful blonde like you," the man greeted, getting playfully smacked on the shoulder by the girl in his lap. "But your body has nothing on my little Cana. Her curves are just wild."

"And where did she pick up someone like you?"

"The bar, right next to the shots."

"Well, as it is your first time here I would like to formally welcome you. I'm Lucy." Cana eyed her, not buying her fake innocence act, but she didn't know what Lucy was planning.

"It's wild meeting you, Lucy."

The rest of the conversation was cut short as the doorbell rang and Mira's voice was heard in the room. "Levy! Happy Birthday!"

Mira, with a short blue-haired girl next to her entered the room shortly after.

"Happy Birthday Levy!" Lucy yelled, launching herself across the room into the small woman's arms.

"Aww, thanks Lu-Lu."

Jet and Droy were at her sides an instant later.

"Man Levy, you're looking great today," Jet complimented, standing to one side of her.

"Ya real good. You'll put all the stars to shame tonight," Droy added standing on her other side.

"Thanks guys," she blushed, fingering the hem of her orange skirt.

Clapping her hands from behind the group, Mira laughed. "Now that we are all here, let's play a few games. Laxus, Honey, can you grab the bottles on the table in the other room?"

Opening his eyes for the first time since everyone arrived, he glared at her. "Why don't you get them yourself woman?"

Levelling her eyes with him, her voice lowered. "Because I asked you to. Be a good boy and get them."

Grumbling, he heaved himself off the wall and wandered into the adjoining room. Lucy stifled her laughter when she heard him mutter something about demon women.

"Everyone in a circle," Mira ordered.

"What are we playing, Mira?" Levy asked, being escorted to the couch by her two self-appointed bodyguards and sat squished between them.

"Spin the bottle of course," she smiled.

"No! No! No! We promised that we would never play that again," Laki protested.

"I'd rather die than be forced to play again," Max agreed.

"Nope. Don't look at me like that. I had to kiss Elfman last time we played," Lucy claimed throwing her hands up and backing away.

Both Jet and Droy were adamantly shaking their heads.

"We are going to play and we are going to have fun," Mira demanded, holding up her hand to halt their protests. "But, there will be no kissing." The sigh of relief in the room was platible. "It will be truth or dare."

"I am not playing such a stupid game with you, woman," Laxus growled, carrying a box of beer into the room.

"You are and you will."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"You don't get a say in what I do."

"And you can sleep on the couch tonight."

"Damn you Demon."

"Are you playing?" The white haired girl asked in that sweet voice of hers, batting her eyelashes.

"You are a Demon," he snarled, dropping the box on the table and slumping into a chair. It never failed to amaze Lucy the power Mira had over Laxus. It had to be something in that voice of hers that caused the usually stoic man to listen. Or maybe it was the way she batted her eyes like they were weapons and smiled in a way that would seem like she would like to watch you burn. Mira-Jane never looked anything but sweet, but when she turned those eyes on you when she wanted something, one saw a glimpse of something darker. Lucy, for one, would not want to be in Laxus' place right now. Even if she was giggling at his expense.

"Great," Mira clapped. "These are the rules. No kissing. No stripping. And because Levy is the birthday girl, she will go first."

Handing an empty beer bottle to Levy, Mira took her spot on the ground next to her boyfriend, her head resting in his lap. His hands seemed to absentmindedly move to stroke his fingers through her hair. An act of possession. It was in times like these that Lucy could see the connection between the two. In little looks, and quiet gestures. She just smiled and looked back to Levy, who was placing the bottle in the middle of the circle to spin it.

"Max," she cried when it stopped on him. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"You have to let Laki braid you hair for you and you have to post a picture of it online."

"No! She can't braid my hair. She's going to make it look girly," he protested.

"She has to, you said dare," Lucy said.

Grumbling Max got out of his chair to kneel in front of the armchair Laki was sitting in. Before she started, he leaned forward and spun the bottle, which slowed to land on Cana.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Shit! I was hoping you would say dare."

"I'm not giving up my liquor," the brunette claimed, taking a drink from the beer bottle she held.

"Well then. How many times has you dad kicked a man you have slept with out of the house?"

"I told you to never bring that up!"

"Oops," he shrugged.

Huffing, she took another drink before answering. "You're going to pay for this Max."

"Make me," he challenged, but winced when Laki pulled hard on his hair.

"If you must know, it has happened four times. But twice with the same boy. Guildarts is crazy." Slamming back her drink she waved the empty bottle in the air.

"How many boys have you slept with?" Levy squeaked.

"Uh-uh. One truth, one question. Mira! I need another drink."

"Get it yourself, you drunk," Laxus snarled.

"Oh, I don't mind. I love helping people," Mira smiled, reaching behind herself to grab another bottle off the table.

"Ya, helping with her alcohol problem," Droy muttered.

"What was that Pansy Pants?" Cana barked, grabbing the bottle from Mira's hand.

"Cana! Spin the bottle," Levy jumped in before things turned ugly.

The bottle landed on Laxus.

"Dare," he said before she could ask.

"I don't think you understand the game," Cana teased. "First I ask you the question then you answer."

"Dare," he repeated.

"Let me ask-"

"Dare."

Lucy already knew that Cana hated being interrupted, she saw the gleam of challenge in her eyes and winced in sympathy for the blonde haired boy. "Fine, we'll play it your way. You have to do what Mira asks of you for the rest of the night without arguing."

His expression darkened to the point many would have been scared, but Cana just snuggled deeper into Bacchas' lap, taking another drink from her beer.

"Laxus, Dear, stop glaring at Cana. It's your turn," Mira cooed, stroking his hand.

Everyone laughed as he forced his expression to relax and reached down to spin the bottle.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Juvia responded.

"What is your darkest secret?"

"Laxus!" Mira gasped, smacking his leg.

"It's okay, Juvia knows it is just part of the game. Juvia doesn't have very many secrets but, she would love to run away with Gray-sama and have thirty three babies."

"That's not a secret," Lucy blurted out.

"Juvia's never told anyone. Therefore it is a secret," Juvia claimed.

"She has a point Lu-Lu, none of us knew. Spin the bottle Juvia."

Juvia spun the bottle and it landed on no one else but her defender.

"Juvia is sorry Levy. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"Juvia dares you to hold hands with Jet and Droy for the rest of the night."

"Then I won't be able to do anything!"

"We will help you Levy," Droy promised, taking her hand.

"Anything you need we will do for you," Jet added, taking the other.

"What will happen if I have to go to the washroom?"

"Juvia will allow you to let go of their hands for that."

Turning to her friends on the couch, she sighed. "I'm sorry guys, it looks like you're stuck with me for the rest of the night."

"That's okay Levy."

"Ya, we don't mind."

"Well I hate to ask this of you, but could one of you spin the bottle?"

"I will!" Jet jumped up smiling. Droy frowned at his was always the faster one.

The bottle landed on Lucy.

"You're in for it now Lu-Lu!" Levy grinned. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," the blonde swallowed, worried for what her best friend had in store for her.

"After reading the latest chapter of your story, I have some inspiration. "

"Oh, no," Lucy groaned.

"Oh, yes. I dare you Lucy Heartfillia, to declare your love in the same manner Loke did to Aries in your story, to the first person you see outside."

"You have to be kidding me."

"I'm not."

"You must hate me."

Levy just smiled and gestured to the door with one of her joined hands. "You stand at the end of the path until somebody comes by. We will stay in here and watch from the window."

Cursing, Lucy made her way to her feet, then out the door and down the path. Looking back up at the house, she saw all her friends in the front window. Max had his shaggy hair done in braids that stuck up in every direction. Levy stood holding hands with Jet on one side and Droy on the other. Even Laxus had heaved himself from his chair to watch this dare and was hiding in the shadows behind Mira.

When it was her that was forced into uncomfortable situations, Lucy found that she didn't enjoy the game as much as she had earlier. Sighing, she leaned against the post that marked the entrance to the picturesque garden behind her and waited for her prey to pass her by.

 **As always you're all cool and awesome but I just want to give a special thanks to J.C., little-flame1, torall11, JcL107, Cheeseman9100, and Sonika Stalker.**

 **Press the little heart, follow this story, favourite me or just leave a comment. I love you all :D Stay awesome my little darlings.**


	5. Not the Way to Catch a Girl

**You guys are darlings! Over 600 views, I'm over the moon. Anyways, as some of you called it, it's a Natsu and Lucy chapter. Next chapter there is some Gale action and the one after that some Gruvia so stay tuned.**

 **Disclaimer: The stars aren't in line tonight for me to own these characters, only the plot.**

 **Chapter 5:**

 **Not the way to Catch a Girl**

"Are ya sure it's over here Salamander?" Gajeel growled stalking around yet another corner to face yet another neat row of houses.

"Best fajita chicken wraps in town," Natsu replied, tugging at the scarf draped around his shoulders despite the heat that still clung to the heavy air of early evening.

"That's what ya keep yapping, but there ain't no restaurants here."

"Of course there is, look I bet it's just around this corner," Natsu called back, eyes lighting up in childlike abandon as he took off down the street.

"Come back here!" His roommate roared, but already he was nothing more than dust in the distance.

* * *

The last of the sun rays hugged the horizon, painting a swirling storm of oranges above her head. Despite this, the air still carried most of the heat from the day and as soon as she was outside, her natural talent for sweating kicked in. Leaning her hip against the white fence post, she rehearsed what she was going to say.

 _You look lonely tonight, my honey bucket. I wouldn't mind getting cozy with you tonight._ It seemed a little tacky for even her character. Loke was bold and brassy but in a less desperate way. _Your eyes are the stars guiding me home, your hands, the anchor to my wandering soul. Take this kiss as a symbol of promise and these words as tales of my love. For I love you. And no matter where you travel, your home will always be in my arms._ It was sweet and sappy, but that was how she had written him and she would be damned if she played the part wrong. Turning to the window once more, she was gifted with Levy shooting her a devilish grin which she stuck her tongue out to. Closing her eyes, she prepared herself for the embarrassment, missing the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps.

 _Stupid metal brained freak wouldn't know how to follow directions if they were painted on that ugly mug of his._ The pink haired boy thought as he bolted around the corner, scarf trailing behind him. It was only a little bit further, he was sure of it. With eyes on his feet, he counted the lines he passed on the sidewalk as he blindly raced down the road.

And suddenly he halted, feet uprooted from the ground. Him and the person he had crashed into collapsed into a tangled mass of limbs on the sidewalk.

"That's not the way to sweep a girl off her feet, " the voice under him muttered. Looking down, he caught a glimpse of blonde. Sitting back on his heels- his knees straddling still the girl beneath him- he studied her some more.

"Sorry, I was in a rush to get some food," Natsu apologised, wiping his hands on the jeans he wore, but didn't move from his spot.

"It must be some food," Lucy groaned, rubbing her eyes, opening them to a face a head haloed in the last light of the day and surrounded by pink hair. Pink hair that earlier that day she had desperately wanted to smooth out of his eyes. Desperately wanted to do the same now. It was as if this boy made all amounts of common sense and coherent thought spill out her ears.

Her eyes tracked down the rest of his body as if to make sure it wasn't somebody else, but was greeted with a nauseatingly bright tie dyed shirt and a white scaled scarf that hung off his shoulders, clean despite the rest of him being speckled with paint.

A spark of something lit his eyes in colour as recognition dawned on him too. "Luce? Is that you?"

Chocolate eyes widened as she tried to get up only to realise she was trapped by the boy above her. "You must be mistaken. Could you get off of me?"

"Off of you?" His nose scrunched up, but peered down his body when his followed the pointed look she was directing at his legs. "Oh." Grinning he made his way to his feet, freeing her.

"What a gentleman," she muttered, getting herself to her feet.

"What was that Luce?"

"I told you. It's not Luce, it's Lucy," she scowled.

"So it _is_ you." He smiled as her cheeks coloured in a soft hue of pink. Suddenly, he looked around her, as if searching for something. "You wouldn't know where the Devil's Kitchen is would you, Luce?"

"Lucy! It's Lucy!" She yelled, slapping him in the shoulder. "Get it through that thick skull of yours! What would you say if I- I called you…" her rant trailed off only when she noticed she didn't know his name.

"It's Natsu," he supplied, rubbing his shoulder and searching past her as if hoping his restaurant would sprout from the ground, ignoring the rest of her argument as if he hadn't heard her. "So do you know where it is? Cause you see I was told they had the best spicy chicken fajita wraps in town and I have to try something with a catchphrase like that."

Natsu continued his story about his epic quest for the best spicy chicken in the country as Lucy studied him. She doubted he noticed the way his hair stuck straight up on one side or the paint that decorated his forearms. Nicely sculpted forearms at that. He seemed fine with the fact that he wore shoes with velcro instead of laces and was seemingly unaffected by the heat with the scarf he subconsciously tugged tighter around his neck as he continued his story. Not one thing Lucy could see would make him what society would call attractive, but confidence oozed from his presence. He seemed at home in his skin and maybe that's what drew her attention, or maybe it was his childlike attitude. Either way, she could feel herself being drawn closer to his passion. Even if- at this point- all that energy was directed at his detailed explanation of the chicken burger he had conquered in Hargeon a while back.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to take the plunge and stepped into her character. She fixed him with intense stare that promised pleasure. "Natsu," she purred. "I have to tell you, you look more ravishing now then you did when I first set eyes on you. My heart belongs only in one spot and that is next to yours. I love you more than the Sun loves her light and the Moon his stars."

* * *

Gajeel stopped short of rounding the corner when he heard his roommate talking to someone.

"Natsu," a sultry voice cooed, seduction dripping from her words. "I have to tell you, you look more ravishing now than you did when I first set eyes on you. My heart belongs only in one spot and that is next to yours," the husky voice continued. Gajeel couldn't believe this was being said to Natsu of all people. He peered around the corner to double check that yes, she was talking to his roommate to only have his eyes almost pop from his head. He gaped at the busty blonde who flirtatiously tilted her head to one side, tongue darting past her lusciously full lips to wet them as she continued with her speech. "I love you more than the Sun loves her light and the Moon his stars."

Even though the confession could put most Hallmark cards to shame, this was Natsu she was talking to. How could Salamander have a girlfriend before him?! And even though the blonde didn't fall into his idea of attractive, she was much too soft for his tastes, and too stupid if she chose Natsu to be her boyfriend, he did recognize that with curves like hers, she would have most men drooling. That just added to the puzzle that was boggling his mind. What was a girl like that be doing with his roommate, who was unable to tie his own shoes or think with anything other than his stomach?

 **My super special thanks award this week goes to EllaSoulX03, Kyoufu, NatsuStoleTheTardis (I love your name), DraLuBrina-chan (and your reviews are the best and I loved reading them over and over), hananodoku, melon-slice, J.C., and FluffyBlade.**

 **Feel free to press the heart button, follow this story or review. But don't feel pressured that's not cool at all. I don't want you guys going back to your friends and telling them all about how I peer-pressured you into liking my story, I don't want none of that. Anywho, I love all those who read this story, even if you hate it, and I will see all you lovely darlings next week!**


	6. A Little More Than Work

**I happened to get it pointed out to me today that my last chapter was a little on the short side. Well I looked at my next chapter and realised that it too was also short so I have decided to gift you with a bonus chapter to make up for it. This has the long awaited Gale scene and this also means that you only have to wait one more week for the Gruvia scene. And I am also so glad to say that this story has gotton over 1000 views, which is more than I could ever have hoped for and I can't believe that people actually like my writing. Anywhos, who came to read this, no one- so on to the story.**

 **Chapter 6:**

 **A Little More Than Work**

Natsu tilted his head to the side, a smile stretching his cheeks- making dimples appear that Lucy swore she didn't notice. "You're weird, Luce."

"I-I'm what?" The girl stuttered, ready to explain what her words meant, that they were nothing but a dare. That she didn't mean to weird him out. That she definitely didn't love him- a boy she had just met. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but with the way that the boy before her was staring, she couldn't push them past her lips. He fixed his eyes on her and her breath caught in her throat. The only thought that she could coherently think, at that moment, would have been that his eyes weren't just olive green, but were speckled with browns and gold. His eyes were beautiful.

"So," Natsu started, "Do you know the way?"

"The way?" The blonde asked, tearing her eyes away from his in an attempt to focus her attention.

"To The Devil's Kitchen."

"Uh, The Devil's Kitchen? Natsu, you're on the wrong side of town."

At Lucy's declaration, his shoulders slumped forward and he continued down until he was sitting hunched on the floor, looking as if he was about to cry. "You mean it's not here?" He pouted, staring at the sidewalk in front of him.

Kneeling down beside him she just sighed. "It's not open tonight anyways."

Startled, he looked to her, eyes wide and shining. "What do you mean?"

"It means you were wrong, Salamander," a voice growled from behind them.

"There's no need to be mean," Lucy said, facing the man who had walked around the corner.

Intimidating didn't even begin to cover what this man looked like. It looked as if he intimidated the intimidating. With oil-black hair that hung in a mane down his back, and more metal than skin on his face he looked the part of thug. When he fixed those blazing red eyes on her, she felt judged and small. Though that second part may have been due to his overbearing presence. Big didn't do this man justice- he was huge. And he knew how to use that to his advantage.

"Why ya protectin' that nimskull, bunny girl?"

"Bunny girl?" Lucy could feel anger boiling inside her, and the way that the man smirked at her, he knew it to.

"Ya remind me of a bunny."

"I do not look like a bunny!" Lucy protested, heaving herself off the ground to stand at her full height, which compared to this man, didn't make too much of a difference.

"Scared and twitchy. Just like a rabbit."

"What makes you think I'm scared of someone like you?" She demanded, crossing her arms.

"Everyone's scared of me." He smirked crossing his own arms, which Lucy noticed were also studded with piercings.

"Not everyone is scared of some kid in a mask." Lucy snarled.

"What? I ain't wearing a mask!"

"Oh, I'm sorry you have to look at that in the mirror every morning."

"She got you there! You do have an ugly mug," Natsu laughed, climbing to his feet; the fiasco with the restaurant forgotten. Gajeel was not an easy man to get along with, he had the kind of body language that had people crossing the street to avoid passing him on the sidewalk. When he walked into a store, people tended to watch him just a little bit more. When he asked a question, people answered, cowering in fear. But not this girl. The blonde stared up at him with a straightened spine and fire in her eyes, matching him insult for insult.

"Don't ya start. We wouldn't be here if ya looked at the website properly."

"You could've looked at it yourself."

"I thought ya could've handled a simple task yourself."

"You want to go, metal head?"

"Like ya could take me," The bigger man snarled, towering over Natsu, who for his part, was looking pumped at the thought of a fight.

"Are you guys really going to fight?" Lucy asked, stepping back towards the house and away from the two boys who looked at any moment, ready to throw a punch. With both of them so up in each other's faces, neither bothered to respond to her question.

"Lu-Lu? What's taking so long?" Levy's voice called from behind her. The sound of approaching steps followed as the birthday girl, and her two hand-holding friends, made their way down the path to see what was keeping her. "Gajeel?" She gasped as she peeked around Lucy's body.

It was almost comical to watch as he dropped his hands to his side instantly and stepped away from the pink-haired idiot. "Shrimp." It was also amazing how much softer his voice became when it was aimed at the small girl who now stood in front of him.

"I thought you said you were working today."

"You know this guy, Levy?" Jet asked, still holding one of her hands.

"He looks like bad news," Droy added pulling her closer- almost behind him- with the hand he was holding.

"Guys, it's okay. He helps at my shop sometimes. I just don't know what he is doing out here," She assured them, directing the last of the statement towards the man who was watching the exchange with amusement. At least he had the decency to look a little bit guilty; not that anyone who didn't know him would be able to tell, but Levy had hung around him enough to be able to read the minute changes of his face. And she wasn't the only one who noticed it, his roommate did too, who smirked from his place behind Lucy.

"We just-"

"We were going out to eat at The Devil's Kitchen," Natsu interrupted. "We just spent the day watching movies in our room."

"Really," Levy purred. "So that's what's got you so busy today."

"It's not like that Shrimp."

"Then, what is it like?" Levy snapped, little foot stamping.

"I don't havta explain myself to ya."

"I'm just surprised is all. You told me you wouldn't be able to meet my friends tonight because you were working."

"Plans change."

"And so do minds," the girl said, turning on her heel, dragging her two friends behind her on her way back up to the house. "We'll be inside once you finish with these neanderthals Lu-Lu. Don't take too long, Mira has something cooking that smells fantastic."

He was going to call out to her, but one of the boys clinging to her hand as if it was a life raft during a storm, turned behind him and mouthed _stay away_ while the other clutched her just a little bit tighter and the small girl did nothing to stop either. He watched her the entire time as she walked up the path and disappeared into the house, hoping once she would turn around. But she didn't, and the door slammed on her retreating form.

"But Luuuuuce."

"I said no."

"Pleeeeease."

"No."

"I'll be good, I promise."

"No."

"But why?"

It was those puppy dog eyes that she caved to. Not that she would tell anyone that.

"Because it's not my house. Or my party. You're going to have to ask Mira-Jane."

He was up the path and knocking on the door before she could say another word. And Lucy knew if there was one thing that Mira was not going to do, it was going to be say no to him. Because Mira loved people, and Natsu loved food, and Mira made the best in town.

 **Super special thanks this week goes to Wallace11, taboadayvonne, , Sakshi K, nyappybunny, XxthespellboundangelxX, and bored-outa-my-mind97.**

 **Feel free to review, follow or like this story. If you are you will get a gold star sticker in my book. Hope you had fun with this super special extra chapter and see ya all next week.**


	7. Special Lunches

**Another week, another chapter! Have fun with this little mix and until next week my darlings.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters… but I wish I did. Sometimes. In my dreams.**

 **Chapter 7:**

 **Special Lunches**

"I'll drop her off on Thursday after school- wait, I can't. I have a meeting with an owner of a flower shop down in Clover. I was hoping we could swing by before the show. I guess she could miss the day of school. But then ya'd have to take her earlier and I don't-"

"Bisca," the blonde interrupted, balancing her phone on her shoulder as she worked earrings into her ears. "I can pick the little one up."

"No, I couldn't ask that of ya. Not after ya said ya'd take her for the weekend."

"I love Asuka. Her school isn't that far from the shop and there is a great ice-cream place on the way back," Lucy reassured her, fussing with her hair. The ribbon she threaded through her side ponytail doing little to fix the frizzing mess- the heat not being her friend this morning.

"You're an absolute darling, sweet pea. Ya sure it's okay?"

"Of course." Giving herself one last look in the mirror, she straightened the collar of her blouse and made her way to the kitchen where Juvia was carefully cultivating a lunch.

"Lucy, Juvia made you a lunch for today because she remembered the important gala she had planned." The blue-haired woman said, not looking up from the masterpiece she was creating in the box: complete with a sandwich, strawberries cut into roses, heart shaped cookies wrapped in pink cloth, and a thermos full of cold milk.

"I'll see you on Wednesday when you bring over her stuff then," Lucy replied, smiling at her roommate to show she heard before heading to the fridge.

"Aren't ya just sweeter than tea. See you then."

Lucy closed her phone, tucking it into the pocket of her skirt. Juvia's lunch was full of fresh food and friendship; it even contained a little note for good luck. "Juvia, you are a saint. I love you, see you tonight." The blonde smiled, grabbing the lunch and heading for the door.

"Good luck!" Her friend called as the door shut behind her.

On her way to her shop she couldn't help but think of the events from the night before. She had been right, Mira-jane had opened her arms to the man claiming to be Lucy's friend. She had even went so far to offer the invitation to the brooding giant that loomed at the end of the walkway to only have him grunt and walk back down the street.

Dinner was something else. While Lucy would love to say that she wasn't ensnared by the man who sat next to her- and if anyone asked her, she sure as hell would dismiss it- she couldn't help but stare at him all night. And it wasn't because of his animalistic eating habits; devouring his plate of food to the point where Lucy was sure he was going to lick the dish. Or the way, even with all his horrendous table manners, he demanded that it be him that cleared the table. "It's a guest's duty!" He had loudly proclaimed over Mira's protests, balancing the stack of plates on one hand. And it wasn't even the way he had almost been in tears over the chocolate cake Mira had proudly brought into the room, twenty four candles and a sparkler alight on top of it. No. It was the spark in his eyes that seemed to grow as the night did. It was the fire that burned in his smile, a smile he was willing to share with the people he surrounded himself with. And it was his laugh. She could still hear it ringing in her ears.

And even though the pink-haired boy held most of her attention- through talk of carnival food and animals of the deep sea- she still caught the vibe her best friend was throwing up. It wasn't a good one. After her encounter with that simple-minded brute, Lucy could spot her plastered on smile from a mile away. Something about seeing him had rubbed her the wrong way and even though she had tried to talk to her about it, all she got were laughs and obnoxious remarks. By the end of the night, Jet and Droy took the very drunk Levy home, still both clutching her hands like lifelines. Max and Laki had left earlier, and Juvia was glued to her phone. That left Mira, Laxus, herself and Natsu, because Cana and Bacchus were sitting in the corner trying to see how many beers they could drink before the host kicked them out.

Lucy wouldn't say that it was a bad night, but between the knowing looks that Mira shot her way- and the evil glint that accompanied them, and the constant bickering between Laxus and Natsu, she had a long one.

It wasn't long before Natsu was skipping out the door, with a wave over her shoulder and a call of goodbye. And then Lucy was left with Mira, Laxus long ago abandoning the party for the solitude of the back rooms, and her questions. And what questions they were.

Where did she meet him? How did they meet? How old was he? Was he a Capricorn or a Libra? Did he like blonde or red hair? Had she kissed him yet? What did his abs feel like? Were they dating?

And the list went on and on, until Lucy was pleading a headache, and her cheeks were so red she felt as if they would never cool. It wasn't as if she could say she liked the pink-haired boy, but her body seemed to have a different plan than her brain did. Her mind took a shuddering halt in thought at the scent of smoke he carried with him and the worst part was the completely obvious disinterest that Natsu had for her.

* * *

Erza took another look at her reflection in the mirror, tugging her gloves up her arms. The dress she wore was the palest green of crushed grass and leaves. The hem danced around her ankles and the silver heeled sandals she wore. A slit ran up her side, stopping just short of her hip and layers of shimmering cloth cascaded around her exposed leg. A band of white satin circled her waist and pulled back into a bow at her back, the tails blending into her skirt. Her neckline was a daring, plunging deep towards her chest, the fabric held together with only a couple green ribbons. The sleeves pooled off her shoulder in two delicate loops.

"Don't you think it's a bit much," she sighed, twirling in the mirror.

"You look perfect, Erzie Wurzie," her secretary- and best friend- assured her. Although she might not have said it outright, Erza was sure that Milliana understood that the question was more than what she had asked.

"I just don't think it is proper attire for such an event. Maybe I should just wear my suit." Erza worried, sliding her gloves to her hands.

"If you take that dress off, I'll bind your hands and tickle you till you cry," Milliana cried, storming into the closet to stand next to the red-head. "Just let me curl your hair and you will knock his socks of."

"Yes," Erza nodded, "knock his socks- wait what? Whose socks?"

Milliana just smiled. "Whatever man has you all wound up tighter than a top."

"M-man?"

"I've seen you look down deals with businesses before and none have ever gotten you this nervous. Even that one with the man who kept smelling you."

A shudder racked her body as she remembered the small man and his obsession with her parfume.

Erza breathed out a sigh as her friend led her to her bathroom where the curling iron was plugged in. As Milliana started on her hair, Erza just stared into her reflection, remembering the man she had once known.

* * *

Juvia inspected the lunch box once more, rearranged one of the strawberry roses, then smiled and closed it again. This was it, she breathed.

"Gray-sama!" she called after the dark-haired boy who was walking out of the lecture hall before her. She watched as she shrugged off the other boy he was walking with to stride towards her. A man Juvia would have seen glance over his shoulder to stare longingly at her, before sharply responding to whatever Gray had said to him and continuing on his way, if only she had removed her eyes from the man walking towards her.

"Juvia, that was some lecture wasn't it?" His voice was like the first time they met, cool and deep.

"Juvia doesn't think the class was that boring. Professor Guildarts just wants us to succeed," she responded, toying with the box in her hands.

Gray just laughed. "I think he was spending more time trying to see up the skirts of the girls in the front row than he was teaching today."

Juvia's cheeks coloured as she protested. "Professor Guildarts would never do something like that."

"Every night he comes to the bar I bartend at and hits on anything with boobs."

Juvia tried to ignore the crude word he used as her cheeks flushed an even deeper red. "So, Gray-sama works at a bar."

"Ya across town. You should come sometime, it's called Fairytail."

"Oh, Juvia would love to! She wants to see where Gray-sama works, it will be like a date."

"Um," Gray tried to backtrack, realizing the path her mind chose to take with his words. "Not as a date. I've told you, I don't date girls."

"That's because you are only waiting for the right one. Juvia'll be your 'right one' Gray-sama. Then they can go on all the dates they want."

The man just looked away and sighed. This wasn't the first time they had had this conversation and he doubted it would be the last. "Do you want a coffee?"

"No, Juvia doesn't drink coffee, but she will go with Gray-sama if that's what he wants. Then they can sit together and have lunch. Juvia made another special lunch for you," Juvia loudly proclaimed.

It always amazed him how loud she could be when she was with him, but with anyone else she seemed to try to become as unnoticeable as a raindrop in a typhoon. He looked to the lunch box that was held out to him, his name artfully taped to the front, the little doodle surrounded by hearts. He remembered the first time she had tried to give him a lunch. He had taken one look at it and flat out refused to take it. She had ran away that day and he had let her go. Thinking that it would stop, the next day she faced him with another lunch in another box and offered it to him again. "Juvia made this with extra love for Gray-sama," she had told him. He looked into her eyes, endless pools mixed with starlight, and he found he couldn't say no. Though he refused when she asked to feed him, he did find himself enjoying the lunch. And everyday since, she had made him a lunch. And everyday he found himself accepting it, just so he wouldn't have to see her cry again.

"There better not be any sushi in the shape of my face again."

"Oh no! Juvia remembered how much Gray-sama didn't like it last time."

Gray opened the box and his cheeks coloured, because even though it wasn't food shaped as his head, there was a sandwich shaped as hers. "Now Juvia can be inside Gray-sama, and be with him even she is not around," The blue-haired girl giggled. "Juvia-bread special for Gray-sama!"

 **Haha, I bet you can all guess who Erza is dolling up for and ohmygosh, I love Juvia.**

 **My thanks this week goes to BaconDaUnicorn, Makadoodle14, taboadayvonne, cskov25, Skyarnel, FTNalu152, and IrrelevantGirlie.**


	8. Accidental Meetings

**Next chapter is here guys. Love it, like it, review. And sorry for the late in the day update, I forgot to do it before school, but anywho, it's here now.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm so sorry I don't own any of the characters. But I do own the story.**

 **Chapter 8:**

 **Accidental Meetings**

"Yukino, show the members of the orchestra to the room we set aside for them. They just arrived and are in the lobby," Lucy instructed her assistant as they both hurried down the hall towards the kitchen.

"Yes, Miss Lucy," Yukino responded, turning around to head in the other direction. Her heels clicking against the tiles of the floor so fast, Lucy was surprised she didn't fall.

"Just Lucy," she called over her shoulder to the woman that had already disappeared around the corner. "What is it with people and getting my name wrong," she muttered, continuing on her way down the hall.

The kitchen was already busy when she arrived, it was filled to capacity and the heat from the ovens was making the air conditioning work over time to cool the sweating chefs. She tapped on a cook who was slicing vegetables. "Is Mira here yet?"

The man didn't look up from his job as he pointed further into the bustle of the steaming pans and simmering pots. As she made her way towards the head chef, she noticed another familiar head of white hair.

"Lisanna!"

The young girl looked up from her work and smiled at her highschool friend. Lisanna was one of the first people that Lucy had met when she had transferred schools from her family owned private school to Magnolia high. They had kept in touch ever since.

"Hey there Lucy! How's life treating you?" Lisanna asked, giving a man standing next to her some orders before making her way towards the blonde.

"I could ask you the same thing. I thought you were still backpacking it across Europe. Last time I heard from you, you were on a train heading to Dublin." Lucy embraced the girl, spinning her around.

"I just came home about a week ago. I was going to surprise you all at Levy's birthday last night, but got caught up in something else." A faint blush brushed across her cheeks and she quickly adverted her eyes from Lucy's, but not quite fast enough.

"And what was this something else?" Lucy teased, poking her friend in the cheek when she was still unwilling to look her in the eye. "Or should I say _who_ is this something else?"

"Don't you have a party to host or something?"

"They can miss me for a couple of minutes. So who is it?"

Her blush flushed red, but she dutifully pulled out her phone to show Lucy. "I met him a couple of months ago in Spain. He was doing card tricks for this little girl who was crying on the train." She pulled up a picture of a man in glasses, a blue mohawk and a tattoo of a man across the bridge of his nose. Even with the strange face art, Lucy saw the appeal in him. Not for her of course, she could never be attracted to someone so out there, but for Lisanna, he was perfect.

"I guess he's pretty cute."

"He's taking me to Hawaii in a couple of months to examine some ruins there and look at the Tikis. He is in love with those carvings."

"He's taking you to Hawaii! Why don't I know anything about this?" Lucy exclaimed, grabbing her friend's hand.

"Because you are the only one that knows about it. I haven't even told big sis about it yet. You can't tell anyone. Especially Elfman, he's been on my case again for being too wild."

"My lips are sealed," She promised as she gave the girl one last hug. "You better come over for coffee soon because I need to hear all the details of your trip."

"I promise I'll come over soon." Lisanna vowed as she headed back to the kitchens and started once again giving orders.

"It's been over a year and you would think she had hardly been gone a day."

Lucy jumped at the voice on her back, turning to face Mira, who had sometime with her talk with Lisanna snuck up behind her. Mira's hair was held back from her face in a ponytail that reached the small of her back, and she had on an apron that had the Devil's Kitchen logo printed on the front.

"You just gave me a heart attack. I didn't hear you."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I hope you're alright," her soft voice apologised.

Waving off her concern, Lucy flipped on her work brain. "I'm just here because the CEO of Nova asked to make a special request for dessert. He knows it is last minute, but he was hoping it wouldn't be too big of a problem."

"What does he want?"

"He wants a small strawberry shortcake made, just a personal size for his table. You can keep the rest of the desserts the same."

"I think I can work with that. I'll just call Laxus to pick up some strawberries. Everything else we have here."

"Thank you, he will be happy to hear that you were able to do this for him," Lucy said, hugging the head chef around the waist. "See ya later Mira!"

"Good luck Lucy!"

With a wave over her shoulder, she was her way to the next task that needed to be handled.

* * *

Erza took another look at her reflection. Her hair piled high on her head with a few curls dancing around her neck and cheeks. She looked nothing like the woman who ran Arms Industry with an iron fist. She was exposed without the shield of her business suit and glasses. She looked soft.

"Erzy Wurzie, you look great. Don't ruin it with that scowl of yours," Milliana scolded, coming up to stand beside her in the mirror.

"I'm not scowling."

"You'll ruin that pretty face of yours. You don't want wrinkles now do you?" The secretary teased, dancing out if the way of the playful smack Erza sent her way.

"Do you think he'll like it?" Her voice was quiet, as if voicing her question would shatter this reality and replace it with the truth.

"He must be stupid if he doesn't. I bet you'll be turning more than just his head tonight."

"Hmm," she sighed, tilting her head, considering something. "Then I guess I am ready for tonight."

Milliana smiled and walked back into the other room. "Just don't let him have you too easily. I wouldn't want to see such a lovely dress torn of anything."

Erza's cheeks blushed so hot, it took her a couple minutes to be able to face the other room, and her friend with her mischevious eyes and girlish giggles.

* * *

The last of the tables were being carried into the ballroom as Lucy arrived. Some of the staff she had hired were already covering them in the white table cloths, others following behind them setting up the center pieces. Wait staff would be here within the hour, bringing with them the silverware and dishes to set the tables.

All was going smoothly. And she guessed that was where she went wrong. Those four little words a curse to be thinking.

"Luce! Luce! Is that you?" One of the movers called from where he was placing the last table.

Her spine straightened at the sound of the familiar nickname. And sure enough, when she turned around, a certain pink-haired man was making his way across the room to where she was standing.

She allowed herself the time it took for him to walk towards her, to study him. He was wearing a short sleeved button up shirt that stretched tight across his biceps. Muscles she wished she would have seen earlier in use as he moved the tables across the floor. He was also in another ball cap, this one with a weird bird like symbol across the front, and the same white scarf. As he came closer she noticed that he also had a bar pierced through his right ear, something she had missed on their previous meetings.

"Luce, what're you doing here?"

"I'm organising this event. And I'm busy," she tried to escape, but the brush of his hand on her arm and his crooked smile made her stop.

"I sure they will be fine without you for a minute," he said, leaning in close to whisper in her ear, his breath tickling her cheek until she was holding her breath to prevent from doing something stupid. "And I'm told the Devil's Kitchen is cooking for this event. I'm ready to go steal some food."

* * *

She stretched on her tiptoes and still she was only just able to brush her fingertips against the spine of the book. Growling, she stepped closer to the shelf until her chest was crushed against it.

"Need some help, Shrimp?"

The voice cause her to jump, which in turn caused her to grab hold of the already unstable bookshelf, and she felt it start to lean.

"Ahhh!" She screamed as the bookshelf wobbled, sending books sliding off the shelves and tumbling onto the ground. It was only the hand that grabbed the shelf that prevented Levy from being squished.

"Ya need to be more careful there Shrimp."

 **Aaaand that's where I'm stopping this. Just setting some things up, you know suspense.**

 **Super special thanks awards this week goes to Makadoodle14, thenextnexus, Exxcaliburr, FTNalu152, SunflowerChrysalis, taboadayvonne, its-somethingblue, DraLuBrina-chan and Zerefsmaiden. But to everyone who read, you are all awesome and love you all. Gold star stickers for everyone.**


	9. Crossing the Line

**Hey guys! It's Wednesday again, so another update. Just wanted to tell you all I posted another story about Gajeel and Levy called Five Days to Win a Heart. I would love for you guys to check it out. It is a one shot, but it is also very long but enough about that. Here you go.**

 **Disclaimer: What was that? I don't own the characters? Well doesn't that suck. Ah, but you do say I own the plot. That's good.**

Chapter 9:

Crossing the Line

"I can't believe I'm here," Lucy muttered to herself as she creeped along another wall, through another room, following the pink haired boy ahead of her.

"What was that Luce?" He asked, turning around.

"I said this is a bad idea, I'm going to get caught and lose my payment for this job."

"Awww," Natsu whined, creeping closer to the sulking child. "Don't be that way."

Crossing her arms, she fixed him with a cool glare. "I'll be anyway I want to be. I can't let you do this."

"Come on Luce, pleeeeeese?" He begged, taking another step closer to her, which caused her to take another step back until she was pressed against the wall.

"No."

"Pretty, pretty please?" He tried again, moving even closer, until he dropped to his knees before her and held his entwined hands above him. "Please. Please. Please. Please. Pleeeeeease."

"I can't let you," she said, glaring down at him.

"But Luuuuuuuce." And he fixed her with those eyes again. The wide eyed- looked as if she had just kicked his puppy, or maybe killed his cat- eyes and she was a goner.

"Fine. But we aren't stealing anything. I'll just ask Mira for some food. Deal?"

"You're the best!" He cried, leaning forward to wrap his arms around her and burried his face in her chest.

"Natsu!" A blush brushed across her cheeks as he burried his nose between her breasts. His breath hot against her skin and her face burned bright, but she couldn't move her hands at all.

* * *

Erza walked down another hall, her heels echoing in the quiet. A white haired woman opened a door further down the hall and started speedwalking towards her. As she came closer, Erza recognised her as Lucy's assistant.

"Miss Agria, do you have a minute?" Erza called.

Yukino stopped and waited for her to catch up before heading on her way again, this time with Erza by her side. "Miss Scarlet, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you knew where Lucy was. One of the movers said they saw her walk off in this direction a little while ago."

"I'm sorry, I haven't seen her since this morning. I could page her if you want," she suggested, shifting her clipboard to the other hand to dig through her purse for her pager.

"Oh, don't do that. It's not that important, I will look for her myself."

"Are you sure, Miss Scarlet. It wouldn't be a problem," Yukino asked, halting her exploration of her bag.

"I'm sure she is busy. As you are. I've distracted you enough. Sorry," Erza apologised, stopping to head back the way they came.

"If you need anything. Please don't hesitate to ask." And she was off down the hall again, checking something off on her clipboard and starting on her next task.

Erza sighed and looked at the doors that lined both walls of the hallway. Some of them were labeled, others were not. There was only one thing to do, so she began to open doors.

* * *

She tried to pay attention in class, but her professor wasn't as interesting today as he had seemed on other days. He mind wasn't into the discussion, it was more into the daydreams she concocted about her and a certain dark haired boy. The boy who sat a couple of rows ahead of her, throwing paper balls at the white haired boy beside him. She thought his name was Liam, or Lindon or something along those lines, but the one time they had met, she was a little distracted by the feel of Gray's hand on her wrist to remember.

The boy who she didn't know his name of, turned to look at her, as if he had felt her eyes, and smiled. It was a nice smile she supposed as she returned it with a little wave, but there was something so dark that lay beneath it, she wasn't sure what to make of him.

"Lyon!" Guildarts barked mid-lecture. "Was I interrupting your flirting time with my teaching? I'm sorry, I'll let you finish.

Lyon, so his name was Lyon. Juvia blushed and looked to the table, but not before seeing him give her one more look and turn to the front again.

"I can't let some beautiful angel like her look so alone," he responded, which caused her to sharply look up from the doodle she was working on in her notebook.

"You don't get to choose for her," Gray growled, leaning over Lyon's desk.

"Get out of my face, Gray."

"I agreeing with Gray on this one Lyon. Keep your pants on in my class," Guildarts objected before Gray could respond.

Juvia flushed a deeper red as she got lost in a daydream of her darling Gray-sama saving her from a raging ice dragon. She didn't notice the looks she got from either of the boys in front of her.

* * *

Levy angrily made her way to her feet as Gajeel rightened the shelf. She bent over and started to pick up the multitude of books that were splayed across the ground.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have _work_ or something?" Levy asked, stacking some books on the shelf.

"Ya should be thanking me, Shrimp."

"For what? Fixing the problem you caused? That's called common curtisy," Levy snapped, shoving books back with more force than they probably needed.

"Just 'cause you're jumpy don't mean this was my fault," he said, leaning against the far wall, crossing his arms and watching her work.

"If you hadn't snuck up on me-"

"I made plenty of noise. Ya were just too busy pretending ya were tall to notice me."

Placing the last of the books back in the proper spot, she spun on her heel and advanced on the man behind her. While she might have been short, she hated when people like him called her on it. He thought that because she was short she was to be underestimated, she had dealt with critics like him her whole life. Pointing her finger at his chest, she started her lecture. "I don't need people like you thinking they are better than everyone because you own a leather jacket and have some piercings. I don't need you patronising me for something I can't change. And more than anything I really don't want some lying scoundrel sneaking around my store!"

"I wasn't sneaking. I made myself plenty loud."

"That doesn't change the fact that I don't want you here, Gajeel."

Before he responded a mew sounded from his jacket.

"You didn't bring him into here did you?" Levy asked as a small black head popped out of his jacket. Without asking for permission, she reached for him and pulled him out.

"What is this?" she worried, eyeing the scar that cut across his left eye. Pantherlily snuggled tight into her chest as she fussed over him, her anger at Gajeel temporarily forgotten.

"He got into another fight. Baby was crying until I brought him here." He watched the small girl cradle his cat as if it was a baby and he let the corner of his mouth lift.

"That's because he likes me more than you, don't you Lily?" She cooed, scratching behind his ears as he purred.

"He's a suck up," Gajeel muttered, but didn't stop her from walking into the back room to find him something to eat. Shaking his head, he followed in behind her.

* * *

Erza opened another door to find it empty except for a few stacks of chairs pressed against the far wall.

"Where is she?" She muttered, closing the door and heading further down the hall. To her right, she heard voices through a crack in the door.

"Natsu!" A breathy voice called. Opening the door wider, to see who was inside, she flushed red and in her rush to close the door, she knocked into the doorframe causing the blonde to look her way.

Shoving the man away from her chest, she looked at Erza with a deer in the headlights expression and gasped, "This is not what it looks like!"

 ***Evil little laugh* I'm stopping here for this week. But the plot thickens duh. Duh. Duuuuuuuh!**

 **My super special thanks awards this week goes out to… drumroll please… little-flame1, RebelPrincess2015Forever, Melime14, FTNalu152, Brokenwingsz, SisterFreaks, Makadoodle14, DraLuBrina-chan, Geirgu, taboadayvonne, and MarSofTheGalaxies.**

 **Thanks everyone for reading and like this story, follow it, or just favourite it, but still to everyone thanks. I love you all. Until next week my lovelies. And remember to check out my new story! :D**


	10. Something on the Wind

**This week I'm going to have to post a day early because I'm going to Arizona for a competition. If you guys haven't already I please ask you to check out my two new stories; Five days to Win a Heart (GaLe oneshot), and Cramped (a collection of oneshots about Levy, Lucy, Juvia, Wendy, Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel all rooming together in a too small apartment). Okay enough shameless advertising and back to this story.**

 **Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. Sadly.**

Chapter 10:

Something on The Wind

" _This is not what it looks like," Lucy gasped, shoving the boy away from her chest._

Erza flushed hard, and stumbled some more. Mumbling something that came out as barely a whisper. "I- I was looking- I didn't mean- the door was open- I- I'm sorry," she stuttered, casting her eyes around the room, looking everywhere but at the couple she had walked in on.

"No. No this is my fault," Lucy said, making her way towards the red-head. "I don't do stuff like this regularly. I swear."

Coughing to give herself time to think, Erza looked past the blonde, not yet composed enough to look her in the eye. "What you do on your spare time is none of my concern." She managed to say, sounding a little more like herself.

"But this wasn't what it looked like," Lucy tried again. "I need you to understand."

Erza waved her hand as if shooing her response away. "That being said, I am paying you right now, and this is not your spare time."

"Please. It was just a hug," Lucy begged.

It was only at this time that Natsu managed his way beside Lucy, only half listening to the conversation, that he decided to add his two cents worth. "We were going to steal some food from the kitchen." He missed Lucy's gasp as he pulled his scarf up over his mouth like a mask. "We were ninjas." He also missed the way that Lucy raised her hand to smack him.

"You idiot!" Lucy smacked him across the back of his head causing him to squeak.

"What was that for Luce?"

"We weren't going to steal anything. I was going to ask Mira if she had any to spare because you wouldn't stop bugging me till I did," Lucy snapped, storming towards the door, past Erza who watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow.

Natsu stared after the girl who disappeared around the door and slipped into the hall. He listened to her footsteps quickly fade away and he thought he was use to people walking away from him, but the silence that followed her retreat defeated him.

A hand landed on his shoulder and he looked up into the face of the CEO. Her brown eyes fixed sternly onto his. "I wouldn't let her walk away."

He squinted as somewhere in the back of his mind an image fought through the fog that blocked it. "Do I know you?"

Startled, Erza studied the man more closely, then gasped. "Natsu? Little Natsu?"

"Hey! I ain't so little anymore," he muttered.

"It's Erza. Erza Scarlet."

"You're not Erza. Erza had short hair and never wore skirts or dresses. She was mean," Natsu decided.

"I was never mean."

"One time she threatened to force me to eat my own socks if I left them in the hallway again," he recalled, shuddering at the memory.

"I told you that the hallway wasn't the laundry basket and you could put them in there just as easily as I could."

Natsu's eyes widened. "You _are_ Erza."

"That's what I said you idiot," she scolded, whacking him on the shoulder. Natsu cringed, and rubbed his arm, taking a step away from her.

"I told you, you were mean."

"What was that?" Erza's eyes fairly glowed in her glare.

"Thatyouweresupernice," Natsu rushed out with his breath, bracing himself for another hit.

"That's what I thought you said," Erza smiled, before fixing him with another look. "Now if I were you, I'd go after her."

"Go after who?"

"Lucy. You just upset her and I know I taught you better manners than that."

"But I didn't do anything," Natsu whined. "She's over reacting."

Erza hit him again.

* * *

Levy stroked the cat that now lay in her lap as she curled up on the couch. The little black cat purred in content as he wormed closer. She just smiled and reached for the book that lay on the seat next to her.

"Don't ya have a store to run Shrimp?"

Levy flipped a page and continued to read. "The bell will ring if anyone comes in."

"Ya gonna ignore me?"

"That was the plan," she said, turning another page.

"Now that's not fair."

"Life's not fair Gajeel. I would have thought you would have learned that lesson by now."

Grumbling, he collapsed on the arm chair that sat facing the couch. He studied the small girl as she absorbed the words from her book. Something warm tried to claim his heart, but he snuffed it out. His Shrimp looked a little too peaceful for his liking as she read. The scene a little to domestic and comfortable for his tastes. He liked things with sharp edges and hard lines. He liked black and white and grey. He loved smoke and mirrors. _This_ wasn't him.

"I wouldn't think ya would act so juvenile Shrimp," Gajeel teased, trying to rile the small girl up.

"I'm not juvenile!"

Hook. Line. And Sinker.

* * *

Juvia smiled as she watched a certain boy make his way towards her as she was packing up her bag. By the time she had finished putting the last of her doodle filled notebooks- all of them of her's and Gray's names in hearts- into her bag, he was standing by her side.

"Juvia."

His voice was always so cool. So calm and collected. To her it sounded as if he was the rain that soaked the pavement. The rain that dripped down her back and ran in rivers down her body. To her, his voice was as deep as the ocean and as strong as the tide. She wished every time, she heard him that he wouldn't stop speaking, because for her, his voice reminded her of home.

"Gray-sama, Juvia didn't expect you to wait for her." Her voice in contrast was breathy, just wisps of clouds in a vast blue sky.

"I was heading over to work and thought you might want to come," he said, shoving his hands deep in his jean pockets. "The bar itself isn't much. Maybe a little loud and-"

"Juvia would love to come!" She exclaimed, latching her arm into his in excitement. But as quick as it came, her eyes lost their sparkle just as fast. "But is Juvia wearing the correct outfit to go to Gray-sama's work? Do these shoes match this shirt? Does her hair look fancy enough?"

Gray watched as she seemed to question everything that she was wearing. A small smile ghosted his lips. "I'm wearing this, whatever you're wearing is better than how I usually look."

"But Gray-sama looks beautiful," Juvia assured him. "Just as he looks everyday."

Gray just sighed and shrugged. "You don't have to come if you don't want." He went to turn away when she caught his arm.

"Juvia wants to go. She will go as she is now."

He waited for her to grab her bag and they made it out of the classroom where the white-haired boy for earlier leaned against the door.

"Juvia, my angel, I have the most romantic evening planned for us."

* * *

Yukino sped down another hallway as she hurried back to the main banquet hall. She hadn't seen Lucy for a while now and was beginning to worry. She toyed with her pager, typed out a message, then deleted it all. She was probably busy with other tasks. Still, she stared at the screen hoping for a new message to form. Finally she sighed and put the pager back in her bag. She'd find her later. For now, finishing the tasks Lucy had given her were her top priority. The business's reputation counted on it.

She hurried around the corner and ended up on her butt, a flurry of papers falling around her.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," a rushed voice repeated from above her. A hand descended to help her up.

"It's okay. I should have been looking where I was going," she responded, for the first time seeing who she had ran into. He was a young man, blond hair looking as if he had just rolled out of bed, and thick rimmed glasses covering his blue eyes. A scar arched as a second eyebrow over his right eye and an earring dangled from his left lobe. Yukino felt as if she couldn't breathe.

The man bent over and began to pick up the papers. "Oh let me help with that," she said, bending down to help, but her hands were shooed away from her.

"I got it, it's okay. You looked like you were in a rush to get somewhere. Rogue is around here somewhere. He'll help."

"Are you sure? I feel bad for leaving you this mess," she confessed, straightening once again.

"It's fine," he assured her as the door beside him opened again. This time revealing a dark-haired man, whose hair was pulled pack into a ponytail. This man's face was more sharp angles and edges, to the blonds soft curves. He didn't say a thing as be started to help clean up the papers. "See I got help. But thanks anyways."

"I'm sorry about the mess," Yukino apologised again, stepping around the two men and the scattered papers.

"I hope to see you around," the blond called after her, pausing for a name.

"Yukino," she supplied as she turned the corner, after sending him a smile over her shoulder.

"Yukino," he whispered to himself as he stood, stack of papers in his arms. Rogue stood next to him and gave him a smirk as he handed him the sheets he had gathered. All it took was a pretty face and Sting was putty in her hands, not that she looked as if she knew it. Yet.

 **And this week's super special thanks award goes out to delicatafloare, Eleuthermomania, 31, fantasiesfuture, GhostOfOnyx, taboadayvonne, booklover551, Anniemey777, DazzTugz, Lais S, YankeeSamson, Aniime Nerd, ForeverTheValentine, ashinsky, and inukekarynatsusu. You guys, plus all the people that read each week, I write these for you and love every one of you. See ya next week my lovelies.**

 **PS. I would love to hear how I am doing, so drop a review please.**


	11. It's a Date

**Hello again readers! Back again with another chapter. This one is mostly NaLu, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: All character rights are not in my name, but I do lay claim to the story line.**

 **Chapter 11:**

 **It's a Date**

Lucy managed her way through the corridors that connected her to the main banquet hall. She had spent enough time fooling around, she needed to get back to work if this dinner would be a success. The angry stomps of her heels beat out a steady rhythm against the tiled floor. With each note she repeated her vow to herself.

Forget him. Forget him. Forget him.

And though those words might have been bouncing around her head, she couldn't help but recall the hurt that had flashed in his eyes when she had walked away. It had to be a trick of the lighting. A momentary slip of her eyes. A cruel joke. Lucy growled as she saw it play out again and again, walking even faster down the hall.

In all reality, she didn't know why she was so mad. It was her fault that she let him distract her in the first place. So maybe that was where her anger lay, at herself for being allowed to so easily be pulled away from her job. All it took was one gentle caress, his carefree smile and a few choice words and she was willing to throw all the rules she had set for herself out the window. Propriety was drilled into her since she was a child. For years she had attended her family's school- Heartfillia Academy. It was a finishing school for young girls, a place to learn music, how to properly set the table, manners and many other things that would make them into fine wives for rich entrepreneurs.

In her senior year, she had fought against her father about there being more to life than learning how to make her future husband the best dinner after a long day of work. When her mother was alive, she had always taken Lucy on adventures. Every weekend was just another opportunity to shrug off the shroud of womanly duties and embrace the sense of thrill. Then her mother died and with her, all those weekends of pure bliss. Her father restricted her from ever stepping foot off the Academy grounds and she spent the next nine years confined within its gates. But that little part of her that craved adventure never died. Each day it begged to be let out, to live, but she restrained herself for those years. It wasn't until Christmas in her Junior year that she decided enough was enough. Her father spent the day in his study claiming work had come up and to leave him alone and not be a pest. She had sat at the empty oak table in their private dinning hall and developed her plan.

It was later that year she was skipping town on the academy she had grown up in and making her way to the nearby town Magnolia. It was there that she enrolled herself into public school and started on her last year of school without the restraints of propriety. But a lifetime of beatings gets the point across and there were still some habits she was unable to shake. Like how close she was able to get to boys.

In the Academy, the only boys she had seen were those on the internet and the ones that occasionally came to the school to clean the grounds. When she left and went to public school, she kept far away from them because propriety demanded it. She was not allowed to speak to a boy without being properly introduced by a parent first. And even if they were to talk, there were other lines that they were not allowed to cross, other subjects of conversation that they were not allowed to speak about.

Natsu had come along and in the last forty-eight hours had taken her sense of decorum and tossed it away. She had spent years abiding to rules and then a single boy came along smashing all her carefully packed away boxes. That was the part she was most angry about as she stomped down the hall. The fact that somehow this boy had so easily gotten past the defenses she had thought were unreachable. And he hadn't sneaked, he had walked up to the front door and asked to be left in. And she had opened the front gates for him.

A flurry of footsteps caught her attention further up the hall.

"Miss Lucy!" The figure called, click-clanking on those deadly heels of hers.

"Yukino. It's Lucy, please," she reminded her assistant, who came to stand beside her.

"Did Miss Scarlett find you? She was looking for you earlier," the white-haired girl asked, taping her pen on the edge of the clipboard clutched in her hand.

Blushing, Lucy looked away before answering. "She did. She just wanted to make sure that all was going smoothly, she wants this night to be perfect. So perfect is what we will do for her. Have you finished everything."

Yukino gave Lucy a long look before answering. "Save for a couple small tasks, all is in order for tonight."

"Perfect. You are a doll, Yukino. Why don't you go take a break in the kitchen. I hear Mira-Jane has set aside some food for some of the workers. I can finish up here."

"Are you sure Miss Lucy? I don't mind helping out."

"Go," Lucy shooed, walking down the hall again before calling over her shoulder. "And Yukino, it's Lucy."

Lucy stood in the doorway of the banquet hall and smiled to herself, the stage was set for whatever would happen tonight. After she had sent Yukino off, it had only taken her an hour to finish the preparations, leaving her an hour to spare before the dinner was scheduled to begin. She had already had her pep talk with the staff, drilling them with their jobs and she had personally seen to the final arrangements of the flowers on each table. It wouldn't be long now until she saw the fruits of her labour.

She was just about to sit down when she heard a familiar call.

"Luce!"

Groaning, she turned around. Still dull anger thumped through her veins, but by this time her brain knew that most of it wasn't directed at him. Or more precisely, not fully directed at him.

"I'm busy."

"But it has been forever. How can you still have work?"

"I work all day. I won't be finished until late tonight," she snapped, turning on her heel to stride away.

"You can't leave," he whined, following after her.

"Why are you still here?"

Puffing out his cheeks, he looked like a child. "I just wanted to say I was sorry. I'm always being told that I speak without thinking."

Something in Lucy gave way under his sincere expression, she felt herself melting. "You should learn to control that problem."

"Does this mean you forgive me?" He asked, those olive eyes wide with excitement.

Sighing, Lucy leaned her weight on one hip. "I guess. But if you say anything else stupid, I may have to reconsider."

His smile could have lit the room and she couldn't help but feel an answering grin tug at the corners of her mouth.

"That means we can see more of each other!" Natsu launched himself across the room to give the stunned girl a hug.

Clasped in his hug, she was surrounded by the smell of smoke that seemed to cling to him. She felt her cheek brush against the soft folds of his scarf and warmth rushed to her face. She was too close to him. Too surrounded by him.

She had known him for only a day, but he made her head spin like no other. With every smile he sent her way, she felt herself following his lead. She had embarrassed herself in front of him, gone on a secret mission through back rooms to steal some food and she had fought with him all within those twenty-four hours. And now here she stood, embraced in his arms- his finely sculpted arms if she was being honest.

It was only then she registered how close they had become, his hard planes pressed against her soft curves. His cheeks inches away from hers, his hot breath curling around her ear. His hair tickling her neck.

"N-natsu! I have work to do!" she stuttered, pushing the stunned boy away.

"But Luuuce. Can't you take a break?"

"I had one earlier, remember? We went to get food."

"But we never got any. So you still owe me some."

"I don't have time for this right now."

"Then you have to take me to get some food tomorrow," he demanded.

"I don't owe you anything. You got my customer mad at me."

"Who? Erza? She's cool with it. Said it was my fault anyways. She's always saying that I'm causing problems like this. She's mean."

"You know Erza?"

"Ya. We grew up together in the same house. Not siblings, but close," he said in way of explanation. "So do you know where the Devil's Kitchen is? Cause I still haven't tried their chicken and I need to. It would be the perfect place for you to take me."

He said it with such certainty that Lucy found herself agreeing before she could stop herself. "The chicken is good, but I personally prefer their curry."

"Great! Maybe I'll try that too. Where should I meet you?"

"Meet me?"

"You said you would take me for food."

"I did?"

"Yup, you did," he repeated, nodding his head in confirmation.

Sighing, Lucy decided to stop fighting it and just go with the flow. The fates seemed to want the two of them to meet and he wasn't the worst company. She even felt herself enjoying his childlike wonder and giddiness. Fishing a pen out of her purse, she scribbled something onto the back of a receiptreceipt and handed it to him. "Come to this address after one tomorrow. I have an appointment with a client as noon, so don't even think about coming earlier."

 **This week's Super Special Thanks Award goes out to… YankeeSamson (This one's for you), 31, Fantasy and Anime, Nikkistah, fangirl4612, Lyonsgirl, Cresentgenisi, NightVVingz, taboadayvonne, deadanimelover, aimelove16, Loso, and The Black Fairy of Fairy Tail.**


	12. It Was the Past

**Next chapter for you guys. If you are waiting for the next instalment in my story Cramped, it will be out either tomorrow or Thursday. I had a little computer trouble and it deleted all my files but I'm almost done with them so sorry about it being a little on the late side. I promise it's still coming.**

Chapter 12:

It Was the Past

There had been many things in Erza's life that she had regretted.

One would have been the haircut she had had in her graduation photos. A younger her had thought it would have been a good idea to give herself a haircut the night before.

Another would have been the car she bought during the second year of her university. Though it looked nice on the outside, it had more problems than any car had the right to have.

A third might have been the dress she chose to wear tonight. With its daring neckline it had her feeling exposed.

But her biggest regret was the boy she let leave. The one she let walk through her door to move across the country. That was her one "what if". And now through chance. Fate. Destiny. Whatever one wanted to call it, she was seeing him again. Tonight.

Fourteen years and she hadn't forgotten the shape of his face or the sound of his voice. Sometimes during long nights, she swore she could still remember the softness of his hands. For months after he had left she had tricked herself into believing that he was coming back. She saw his face in every crowd, just out of reach, just a stride ahead. But he wasn't. He had left and she was sure she had lost him forever. Until life dealt them another turn and she found herself playing another round of the same game. Tonight would mark the beginning of something else, and maybe by seeing him again, she would finally be able to mute the voice that still clung to hope in the back of her mind.

* * *

" _I'm not juvenile!"_

"Ignoring someone 'cause you're a little high strung ain't acting like a mature adult," Gajeel laughed.

"That's not why I'm ignoring you," Levy snapped, slamming her book closed. "I just don't know how much I want to talk to someone who can't tell me the truth."

He had the dignity to look guilty, but only for a second before his smirk once again emerged on his face. "Ya ain't still sore about that are ya?"

Levy glared at him as she went back to stroking Lily along his back. "I bet you wouldn't take it lightly if I lied to you."

"Try me."

If there was one thing that Levy couldn't stand was people underestimating her. Sometimes she felt it was because she wanted to prove she was more than her size, but most times it was because she had a wicked competitive streak. Sure she usually tried to keep out of fights featuring feats of strength, but this challenge was one of the mind. And she would refuse to lose.

"Maybe I'll take you up on that."

He saw that glint in her eye and something fierce burned in him. He too was always up for a challenge, and his little Shrimp seemed to come alive with his words. And he couldn't wait to see what she came up with.

"But for now you need to leave," she said, rising to her feet and handing him back his cat, but not before kissing him on his furry head one last time. "You stay out of trouble you little rascal."

* * *

" _Juvia my angel, I have the most romantic evening planned for us."_

It wasn't much later that Gray took a swing at him. She looked back and forth between the two boys. Lyon was sitting on the ground where he had fallen, rubbing his jaw, while Gray stood looming over him.

"Why don't you be a little more uncultured, Gray?" Lyon snapped, pulling himself to his feet.

"I'm the uncultured one? At least I don't try to force myself onto unwilling girls."

"Unwilling? Juvia is an angel, I was just being a fitting prince."

"You don't get to talk about her wants. You don't know her."

Juvia's heart soared. Her precious Gray-sama was willing to fight this dragon for her.

"Like you know her any more then I do, brother."

 _Brother?_ Who was this white-haired boy. Juvia could remember him from a couple of times when she had hung out with Gray. Of course he was in her class, and she recognised him enough to smile when they saw each other on campus, but brother? Gray had never once mentioned him, not that he talked a lot about his personal life.

"Boys!"

The brothers and her both turned towards the voice to find their professor striding towards them. "If it's an argument over a girl, why don't you settle it like men. The way to a lady's heart is to win her favour," Guildarts stated, stopping beside Juvia and placing his hand on her shoulder. "I will approve of a fight between the two of you. Winner gets the girl."

That snapped Gray's attention. "Juvia is not a prize."

"You think the girly is unwilling? What about it, Juvia?" Guildarts asked, turning to face the quiet girl.

The quiet girl who straightened her shoulders and looked him square in the eyes, no doubt in her voice. "My Gray-sama will win. I am not worried."

"Then a fight it is. Tomorrow after class you will meet in the gym, be ready. But until then, no one will talk. The next time you see each other, it will be in the ring."

"Fine," Lyon snapped, storming off down the path.

Gray turned towards Juvia who was gifting him a smile. "Great," he muttered before turning in the opposite direction.

"Gray-sama!" She called after him, but Guildarts' hand on her shoulder stopped her from running to him. "Gray-sama, I know you'll win because you have to. Juvia will wait until you do."

* * *

Yukino picked up another slice of cake. Mira had really outdone herself. Even on top of making all the food for tonight, she somehow still managed to make food for the workers too. A table of snacks all portioned on to small trays or delicately placed onto folded napkins lay in one of the rooms beside the kitchen. Movers, waiters, cooks and other workers alike swarmed around it.

"Two pieces of cake. Most ladies wouldn't think of having one, especially on top of the other sweets I saw you eating earlier."

Yukino turned towards the voice, not surprised to see the young blond from earlier a couple feet away from her, the brunette hiding in the shadows at his back.

"Most ladies also wouldn't want you pointing out that they have eaten too much."

Sting smiled at her choice of words and made his way to stand beside her. "I wouldn't have guessed you were one to care what people thought of you."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye before taking another forkfull. "What would make you say that? We have met only once for a couple brief minutes."

"I've been told I have a great talent at guessing people's personalities," he laughed, winking at her.

She placed her fork against her lips in thought. "And who might have told you that?"

"A great many people."

"I think I would like to meet these people you speak of, Mr. Eucliffe," she claimed, taking another bite of her cake.

It took him a moment to realise the implication she put on his name. "Who told you?"

"No one. But I've been told my talent for observation is a rare one."

"How did you find out?"

Yukino sighed, and dabbed her lips with a napkin before disposing of it. "It wasn't really that hard. You and your partner over there were front page news a couple months back, taking over Unison from its previous owners and reshaping it as a good company, ignoring its shady background."

"It wasn't much."

Yukino looked him over before she picked up her ever present clipboard from where she put it on the table next to her. "I wouldn't be so sure. Not many people can look past such past as your company had. It was a huge scandal when it was uncovered. I wouldn't sell yourself short. What you did was incredible."

She left him once again staring after her, a look of awe in his eyes.

 **Like every week I have my Super Special Thanks Award, this week going out to: YankeeSamson, taboadayvonne, omfgNaLuontheroad (thanks so much), XxXxLoveTheGamexXxX, Ambitious Rookie, Tukiyo Kitsune, and MisaRin. Plus all of you that read, keep the reviews coming.**

 **I would also to thank all those of you that read my NaLu oneshot: Cooking up Romance. Cause it is a oneshot, I'll post my thanks here. So thanks to: J.C., Aya Rose, Zahia, booklover551, Loso, SingingAngel327, DancesWithSeatbelts, 31, Katia XD, Matcha-Chan, ScarletFlame07, Dark Shining Light, RandoAnon, MisaRin, Shaerlis, wizzy5682, Aoifan91, ashinsky, Ace101Mega, ChibiEmirii, semi-absorbed, jj, and last Gekko No Kasumi.**

 **Love you all for reading and see you next week my lovelies.**


	13. Past Meets Present

**I know, I know! This took months to get out when I told you it was only going to be a week. I'm so sorry, but school just hit me like a freight train and writing just took a back seat. But I promise I will try really hard to go back to posting every week, maybe every two weeks- but on a regular basis. I promise. Again, so sorry for the long update period.**

 **Past meets Present**

"Deep breath. One. Two. Smile and breathe," Erza muttered to herself as she looked into the bathroom mirror for the fourth time in so many minutes. Pursing her lips, she took stock of her image.

"What did I say about that scowl of yours Erzie-Wurzie?" her secretary giggled, tugging and releasing one of the curls that surrounded her face, letting it spring back to its original shape.

"I wish that you could sit at my table Milliana," The redhead sighed.

"I don't. If I was I would have to sit all stiff next to so stuff shirted business man pretending to be interested in some ego infused stories he would tell me. Probably hit on me too because that is what old guys do," Milliana pouted.

Erza laughed. It always calmed her to have her friend around. "Is everyone there yet?"

Milliana narrowed her eyes as she peered at her. "You're just wanting your man to show up before you. If you would tell me who he is I could check for you."

Erza lifted her nose. "I just want to make sure that when I enter it makes an entrance. I want to make a good impression. This deal means a lot."

"You keep telling yourself it's not about this secret lover of yours as if sooner or later you will believe it yourself. If I were you, I would go out there looking hot as hell and make him want you back." Milliana was serious, which was a rare occurrence for her bubbly personality. "Because any man who would leave you, is insane. Make him see the errors of his ways, or forget him- but tearing yourself apart isn't the Erza I know."

"Milliana, I-" Erza started, but was shushed by her friends finger on her lips, shushing her.

"No, no, no. I don't want to hear what you have to say. Save it for the correct person."

Erza smiled. "Has anyone ever told you that you are smarter than you look?"

Linking their arms together she steered them towards the noise that signalled the starts of the dinner. "All the time. You just don't listen often enough to really absorb my great wisdom."

They were both smiling and laughing when they entered the room. A couple of people around them turned to face them with smiles and introductions, but Erza's mind was on other things. Like the man standing by the head table, listening to something that a shorter man was telling him. She exchanged names and handshakes with the couples around her, some congratulating her when they found out who she was, others staring at her in awe- or envy. But her feet carried her away from the crowd and towards the man who looked as if he had not aged a day since he left her alone in her bed.

When she made her way towards the talking men, people got out of her way. Something in her face must have given her away. The shorter man saw her first, smiling as she approached. He was an old acquaintance, more a family member than a business partner.

"Erza, child, you look beautiful tonight."

"Thanks Gramps. You look like you dressed up yourself." She returned his grin.

"You know how I hate these suits. But I wore one just so pretty ladies like you would compliment myself on them." He winked.

The other man took this moment to turn around. She thought she had prepared herself for his face. She thought she was ready to face him. But this moment showed her how weak she really was.

"You never change." Her voice wavered and her eyes never left Jellal's.

The shorter man looked between the couple, both with identical looks of disbelief on their faces. He just shook his head and found excused himself. Neither one of them noticed when he slipped away to find some other person to talk to.

Erza shook herself out of her trance first, extending her hand to shake. "Mr. Fernandes, it will be a pleasure working with you."

Jellal's face twisted with pain for a second before his mask fell into place alongside hers. "The pleasure will be all mine, Ms. Scarlett."

He encased her hand in both of his, warmth radiated up her arm. They felt just as she remembered. Soft and safe. He withdrew too fast and she felt herself craving his touch. Such a stupid girl she was.

The silence between them grew taught with things they both wanted to say. They both looked into each other's eyes waiting for the other to back down. "I want to say sorry. I should have told you years ago and I know an apology now won't fix things but maybe-"

He paused. "Very well." In that moment he looked vulnerable. He glanced over his shoulder back at the table behind him, when he looked back at her, he almost had her convinced she hadn't seen anything. "Ms. Scarlett, it looks as if the meal will be served soon. May I escort you to your seat?"

He offered his arm and she took it without a word. Her fingers barely touching the fabric of his jacket, fighting the urge to pull him closer.

They walked around the edge of the table, no words between them. When they got to their seats at the head of the table he held out her chair for her.

"Thank you," she whispered, smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles in her skirt.

"I didn't say before, but you look stunning like that. I don't remember you ever wearing anything like it before." His voice was a precious gift in the shell of her ear. Meant for no one else but her to hear. Her cheeks coloured. By the time she risked a glance at him, he was seated at her side speaking to the businesswoman who sat beside him.

No matter the amounts of time she told herself that it didn't matter, she still found herself wanting to find a way to remove the lady from the room. Even though his hands stayed in his lap as hers danced on his forearm. Even when his eyes didn't stray from her face when she leaned forward exposing a scandalous amount of her breasts. Even when his face remained expressionless as she wetted her lips and made them into a perfect pout. Erza found herself struggling to keep her hands off him and claim him as her own. Jealousy. People called the thing that she was feeling jealousy.

It didn't matter the speech she had given him about only looking towards the future starting tonight, her heart was making other decisions. Now if it could only convince her mind to make the same ones.


End file.
